Travel through the Qing Dynasty and become emperor

After hearing this, Feng Zicai told the surrounding soldiers to retreat, pulled out the fuse on the grenade, and threw it out with his arms.

Before the grenade exploded, Feng Zicai pulled the string of the grenade again, and when he lost it, he saw two loud noises, one before and one after, and the soil, sand and gravel were splashed everywhere. A small pit.

Liu Mingchuan, Liu Yongfu and others behind Zuo Zongtang were so shocked that they couldn't speak a word, obviously stunned by this murder weapon.Both of them are people who have experienced the Sino-French war, and they have a deep impression of the trench warfare in the war.When the artillery gap between the two sides is not large, it is almost impossible to break through the trenches with machine gun firepower.

This is a successful use of the trenches. Once it is our turn to break through the enemy's trenches in the future, what method will we use to break through them?This is a question that military officers who participated in the Sino-French War have been thinking about.

Now the method has finally appeared. Everything in the world generates and restrains each other, and grenades are the best weapon for trench warfare.

At this time, Liu Yongfu couldn't stand up at first.He said cheekily: "Brother Feng, do you think this grenade will support our Black Banner Army with hundreds of boxes? The country brothers under me have never seen this thing. If they go to the battlefield in the future, they will throw these things as sweet potatoes. If you catch it, it will be a big loss, so you must give me some, anyway, you can’t keep this thing as a cub.”

"Hundreds of boxes?" Feng Zicai's flushed face turned red at the moment, "You are really arrogant. Now I have ten bidders, and each of them can't get five. You will think when you touch your lips." I have to go so much, I don’t even think about it, I don’t have a box.”

"Brother Feng, wait until the grenade given to us by the Ministry of War arrives and you're done for. Anyway, you don't have any combat missions right now. The weather is bad, so you're not afraid that the grenade will get damp?" Liu Mingchuan said aside.

"Okay." Zuo Zongtang frowned at this moment and said: "These grenades are for Feng Zicai's department. I will write a letter to the emperor to ask each bureau to speed up the production of this kind of grenade to equip each department." Then everyone gave up.

Then everyone came to the artillery mark. There was no artillery group with many barrels, only a few dozen 75mm battalion artillery sparsely. The artillerymen were conducting artillery training.The crowd passed the trained soldiers and came to the gate of a warehouse. Led by Feng Zicai, a group of people walked in through the small gate.

The sunlight from the skylight allowed everyone to quickly see the situation in the warehouse clearly.There were rows of smoke-like things standing in front of them, and Zuo Zongtang was quite puzzled: "This is a mortar?" In his impression, artillery should be heavy and heavy, weighing hundreds of catties or even thousands of catties. Things, which are as light as the mortar in front of you.

Feng Zicai nodded at this time and said: "These mortars are all made by Ningju. Originally there was only one inch gun (33mm) that could shoot three miles away. Later, Ningju built a larger one that could shoot five miles away. There are more than 500 such mortars in our department. At first, we wanted to have one for each company. But later, we found that the power of a few mortars is no less than that of ordinary artillery, and the heaviest of these mortars is only 15 catties. They can still walk like flying and are extremely useful in combat. So I gathered them together to form a cannon target."

At this time, Zuo Zongtang also thought of the advantages that mortars can bring in mountain confrontations. Just imagine that the enemy can only carry light weapons because of heavy artillery, but our side has the help of artillery, and the outcome is unpredictable.

At this moment, Pan Dongmin regretted greatly. When he met the emperor in the capital, the emperor asked him to train the recruits, saying that there were new equipments for early adopters.At first, he thought it was the emperor coaxing him, so he was reluctant to leave the old army.Now seeing Feng Zicai with a grenade and a mortar, the regret in his heart is like a torrent of river flowing eastward...

The Lion Wakes Up Chapter 81 Each has a ghost

In October 1885, Mr. Horton, who had been handling Sino-British affairs in China since the first Opium War, was already past the age of retirement.But today he has just boarded the ship back to London. Looking at China, where he has lived for more than 10 years, his body is still upright, with a meticulous expression on his face, as if he is still immersed in the situation when the British army invaded China more than 40 years ago. .

Horton used to be the Taxation Department of China Jiang Customs, the translator of the British ambassador in China, the counselor of the embassy in China, the British minister in China, etc., and experienced two Opium Wars. He spent most of his life in China , He even spoke more Chinese than his mother tongue.No foreigner knew China better than him, so when he returned to the UK, he was hired by the cabinet as a consultant on British Far East affairs.

"Welcome back to England, my old friend." British Foreign Secretary David walked over enthusiastically. He still respected this old man who had brought great benefits to the empire in the Far East.

Holden took off his hat very gentlemanly, and looked polite: "It's an honor to meet you."

David said leisurely: "The empire has sent two additional colonial divisions to Burma, but the parliament is still hesitating. Because Burma has agreed to the empire's request, we have no reason to attack Burma anymore."

Horton said sharply: "The parliament must have considered that Myanmar is a vassal state of China after all, so it is so hesitant."

"Based on what you know about China. What is the strength of China? After all, the empire has not had close dealings with this country for 20 years. We only know that they just defeated France and even captured tens of thousands of French soldiers. In addition, Russia People seem to have suffered a bit from the hands of the Chinese." David asked cautiously.

Holden had a faint smile on his face, and said: "When did the parliament become so courageous? Compared with the risks we have to take, the benefits we get are too great. Since the 15th century, we have known that Asia The most fertile places are India and China. Now the empire has fully owned India, so only China is left. Near China, we only have a small area of ​​Hong Kong and a few concessions along the coast, and China also has its vast interior Lu. Now that the French have completely withdrawn from the competition in Southwest China, as long as the empire controls Burma, we can get the three provinces in Southwest China, which will be integrated with our sphere of influence in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. At that time, the whole of South China will be Become the source of raw materials for the empire."

Holden paused, with a nostalgic expression on his face, as if he was thinking about his days in China, "The Chinese are the most complicated nation in the world, and no one can fully understand him, including themselves. China has developed Great development, especially in recent years. They are growing at a terrifying speed. But this is also the reason why we must occupy Myanmar as soon as possible. The Chinese often compare them to animals like dragons. If you want to let the evil The dragon can't come out to hurt people, but lock them in the castle. Now China and the Russians are fighting against each other, and they have built a wall on the north and west. If we build a wall on the south, we will unite with Japan, which has great ambitions for China. , China will be surrounded on all sides. A dragon that cannot fly out of the castle. It will only become a treasure for dragon slayers.”

David listened carefully, nodding from time to time.

And Horton continued to fight with his understanding of the Far East: "Britain is not France. The reason why France lost to China in Vietnam was because the logistical supplies between them were too far apart, and France's local military strength needed to be reinforced. It is almost halfway around the world, but China's most fertile southeast coast is close at hand. This is different from the war that will take place in Burma. The empire has colonies such as India, Turkey, and Afghanistan near Burma. The ship departs from Chittagong It takes two days and one night to reach Yangon in Myanmar, but China has to cross their mountains in the west, and the advantage of supply has been completely reversed."

"You mean that China will definitely intervene in the war in Myanmar, just like in Vietnam." David asked carefully.

"Yes," Holden nodded affirmatively, and said, "If China was ruled by the former queen mother, as long as the empire does not overly stimulate China, they will definitely not send troops without sending troops. But now the young emperor who controls China, but He is a man with great ambition and desire. He has successfully gathered the forces demanding change in China, and now he has a high reputation in the hearts of the Chinese people. Once the empire provokes a war in Burma, he will not let go of this opportunity to prove himself. That's why we have to take advantage of the entanglement between him and Russia to decisively send troops to control the whole of Myanmar as soon as possible and create a fait accompli."

David was already impressed by Horton's analysis of the Far East, took out a bottle of whiskey and two goblets from the wine cabinet, and said, "You are such an outstanding politician. I am glad that you were born in England."

10月的北京天气已经开始转凉，关绪清在8月8日迎娶自己的正宫皇后之后，又于9月9日正式迎娶了两位妃子。青、蓝两姐妹。

The Forbidden City is still full of cheerful anger, and the eunuchs are cleaning the fallen leaves on the ground.Guan Xuqing was watching the memorials sent by various ministries in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Your Majesty, the King of Burma has sent envoys to ask for our assistance." Prince Gong presented a telegram with both hands.

"Oh? What kind of interface are the British looking for this time?" Guan Xuqing took the telegram and read it.

Prince Gong said slowly: "The United Kingdom first protested against Myanmar's trade discrimination against the United Kingdom, and demanded to supervise all foreign affairs activities of Myanmar. The King of Myanmar has agreed to the United Kingdom according to our request, but this time the United Kingdom used the excuse of Burma to take in Afghanistan to resist the United Kingdom." Bandits. Demand troops in Burma!"

Guan Xuqing put down the telegram, looked at Prince Gong in front of him, and said, "Uncle Liu, if the British really stationed troops in Burma, how should I deal with myself?"

Prince Gong pondered for a moment and said: "Return to the emperor, Myanmar is the gateway to the southwest of our Qing Dynasty. It borders Yunnan, Guizhou, and Vietnam Province, and is separated from Tibet by a mountain. From Thailand in the east, you can directly enter our Qing Dynasty Vietnam Province. It starts from the Indian Ocean in the south. It is a strategically important place. If the British occupy Burma, it is hard to imagine how many troops the Qing Dynasty would need to defend the three southwestern provinces."

Guan Xuqing nodded in relief, and said with a smile: "Uncle Liu can see this layer, I am very relieved. Even if Myanmar is not my vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, I will not let the British take it by force."

"But Your Majesty, the UK is no better than France. It already has a huge influence in the Far East, and India is the logistics base of the UK in the Far East. I am in the Qing Dynasty now..." Prince Gong said worriedly.

"Instead of defending the three southwestern provinces after the British occupy Burma in the future, it's better to get rid of the British wolfish ambition now." Guan Xuqing said before Prince Gong could speak.

The uncle and nephew looked at each other, but neither made a sound.In fact, they already had a firm determination in their hearts...

The Lion Wakes Up Chapter 82 The British Send Troops

On November 1885, 11, the British suddenly sent troops to occupy Minhla, a frontier fortress in Burma, officially provoking the Anglo-Burmese War.

It's like throwing a small stone into an otherwise calm lake, causing infinite ripples.

"Didn't you say that the British would not send troops?" Guan Xuqing said coldly, looking at Li Hongzhang who was kneeling in front of him.

Li Hongzhang lowered his head at this time, and said on the ground: "I am not doing my job well, please punish the emperor."

"You are the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Military Aircraft of my Qing Dynasty. But you are played by the British Foreign Minister. The British sent troops premeditatedly, but my Qing Dynasty was not prepared at all. You, you are so stupid to tell me The British will not send troops, and at the last moment, the Qing Dynasty has not made any preparations!" Guan Xuqing cursed at Li Hongzhang.

Li Hongzhang knelt on the ground trembling in fright, and continued to say: "I am guilty, please punish the emperor."

Prince Gong hurriedly said: "This time, the British broke their promises. It is not the fault of Li Zhongtang alone. I think the most important thing now is how to deal with the British provocation."

"Okay." Guan Xuqing softened his tone and said, "Since Prince Gong begged for mercy, I will only punish you with one year's salary. I hope you will be fined for a small punishment and work hard in the future. Get up and answer."

Only then did Li Hongzhang feel relieved, and after getting up, he wiped the cold sweat from his head and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Guan Xuqing sat on the dragon chair, looked majestically at the military ministers on both sides, and said: "The British broke their trust and invaded our country this time, and they regard our Qing Dynasty as nothing. If they don't punish them, how can they rectify the country's system." Simple sentence His words seemed to set the tone for the following conversation.

"My minister thought that the reason why the British attacked Burma this time was because they didn't want to give me too much time to react. I hope that I can eat Burma in one bite. By then, the occupation of Burma has become a fact, and the Qing Dynasty can no longer recover it." Weng Tongsu Said.

"What Mr. Weng said is true, but Britain's army and navy in the Far East are several times that of our Qing Dynasty. I am afraid it will be difficult to win this battle!" Prince Jin analyzed the situation between the enemy and us objectively.

Guan Xuqing listened to what they said. Although he didn't dare to say it clearly, what he said meant that the Qing Dynasty was far from being an opponent of the British.Sending troops to Myanmar is of no benefit to the country or the people.

"Hmph, I've been listening to it for a long time, so why are you cheering up the British? Why are the army and navy several times larger than my Qing Dynasty! Our Qing army has millions of troops, and the two divisions of the British barbarians in the Burmese area have tens of thousands. He The Indian Ocean Fleet is all dilapidated warships, which are far from our main ironclad warships in the Qing Dynasty. What are you afraid of?" If the eyes can kill, the Minister of Military Aircraft who was present has been killed several times.

At this time, Li Hongzhang, who had just been severely reprimanded, suddenly said: "Your Majesty, the British barbarians are treacherous. I, the Qing Dynasty, don't have to believe in their words. If China and Britain go to war, command of the sea is still the top priority. The British supply line no matter from The Indian Ocean will pass in either direction. If we cut off their supply lines, the British will lose without a fight."

Guan Xuqing sat up straight on the dragon chair, looked at Li Hongzhang with glowing eyes, and said, "Go ahead."

Li Hongzhang went on to say: "But the strength of the British navy is three times that of our Qing Dynasty, and the Pacific Fleet is one of the main British fleets. And in the hinterland of our Qing Dynasty, there is a British fleet docked in Hong Kong. According to my understanding, it is an ironclad ship and two ships. Composed of cruisers and five gunboats, the total tonnage is less than [-] tons. I suggest that the Taiwan Branch and the Vietnam Branch of the Daqingshui Division encircle it. First annihilate a British force, avoid a decisive battle with the British main force, and divide and annihilate them It's the truth."

The world is so crazy that Li Hongzhang actually wants to fight against Britain without declaring it?Seeing that Li Hongzhang, who is always giving way in everything, does not think about making progress, because he was fooled by the British foreign history this time, the bloodiness of a man in his bones was aroused.

Guan Xuqing looked at him with a smile, and said slowly: "The battle of the sea is about sea power, not one or two warships. I should focus on the big picture instead of coveting such petty gains. The British that destroyed Hong Kong The fleet is of no benefit to the overall situation, and only by defeating the British Pacific Fleet can we truly gain control of the sea. Moreover, the Hong Kong fleet is now a bird in a cage, and keeping it can still attract the British fleet to rescue."